5.
"If you know who I am, then you know I have nothing to say to you," Jaina replied coolly. She kept her face inscrutable, contradicting the anger welling inside her.

The man chuckled. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. The way I see it, you should want to talk to us. Because we're the only ones who can help you."

"Help me?" Jaina scoffed. "I don't need your help. I don't want your help. There's nothing in this galaxy you could offer me that would convince me to give you any information."

"Oh, I know that," he replied evenly. "I imagine you'd rather die than betray the Empire."

She said nothing, allowing her silence to confirm his assessment. The Twi'lek handed him a datapad and he walked closer to her bed.

"I'm not interested in the information you may or may not have about the Empire," he said. "I have other ways of obtaining that. What I am interested in, is what you were doing on Akiva." She remained silent, so he continued.

"Normally, I wouldn't have even bothered. Everyone knows corruption runs rampant throughout the Outer Rim, and it would only make sense for a loyalty officer to be called in to investigate. But your timing…it was too perfect."

He let his last sentence hang in the air, and she suddenly realized what he was getting at. She scowled at him. "I'm not a spy."

"That was the same conclusion I came to as well," he replied, glancing back at the Twi'lek and Ahsoka. "No spy would be so stupid as to leave their ID card in a pocket, just begging to be found."

Anger flared and her whole body twitched in response. She gritted her teeth through the pain, wanting nothing more than to wrap her hands around his throat. He noticed her reaction and gave her a slight smile.

"And that brings me back to the question of why." His eyes narrowed. "Why were you on Akiva?"

"That's none of your business," she retorted. He shook his head.

"You see that's where you're wrong. It is my business. It became my business when you interfered with an ongoing operation, nearly getting my people killed."

She couldn't hold back her anger and contempt any longer and sneered at him. "I wasn't aware of any rebel—" she put a heavy emphasis on the word "—operation. I was only trying to help a friend."

"Yes, that's what the debriefing said. But again, it doesn't explain why you happened to be in the right place at the right time." He paused, giving her a chance to respond. When she didn't, he shrugged and continued.

"It wasn't adding up, so I decided to do some digging. And this is where the story gets interesting," he said, tapping on the datapad for a moment. She shot a quick look at Ahsoka and the Twi'lek, but their faces revealed nothing, and she wondered why they were even there.

"Turns out," he said, finishing what he was doing on the datapad, "you deserted your post over a month ago. Disappeared from Garel, leaving no trace or indication of where you went or why you left. So I dug some more. And what I found only added to my list of questions.

"Your record was impeccable. Awards, commendations…you were one of the top officers the ISB had to offer. All that, achieved at such a young age. You had a great career ahead of you."

She said nothing and continued to glare at him. He knew far more than she'd expected him to. He held her gaze for a moment, before carrying on.

"Once I learned of your desertion, your presence on Akiva made sense. It's a backwater world, no one would go looking for you there. It's the perfect place to hide. Maybe it was just a coincidence you ran into my troops.

"But I'll be honest. Most deserters have a damn good reason for it. They're corrupt and their misdeeds have been discovered. They've become disillusioned and decide they want something different. Or they discover military life isn't for them. But with you…nothing in your record leads me to believe any of those reasons apply. Am I wrong?"

He wasn't wrong. On paper, she didn't have a good reason to desert. Only she knew the real reason and she wasn't about to tell him or anyone else what it was. All three of them were looking at her expectantly and she gave him a slight shake of her head.

"I didn't think so," he continued. "So why. Why run?"

This was the last thing she wanted to talk about. The wounds had just started to heal and she didn't feel like opening them back up again. "I already told you," she said through clenched teeth. "It's none of your business."

He sighed and shook his head, and looked to Ahsoka. Ahsoka gave him a short nod and he turned back to Jaina. He tapped on the datapad again, then tossed it to her. She was too slow and too sore to catch it, and it landed on her legs, sending bolts of pain through her body. She glared at him as she reached for it.

And froze when she saw what was on the screen. It was a standard Imperial communique, the kind sent out to every base, outpost, garrison, and ship the Empire had. They usually detailed any important information Imperial Center wished to push out, including information on those who were wanted for desertion. She'd seen hundreds of them over the years but had never expected to see her face on one.

Yet there it was. The same picture that was on her ident card, now blown up, covering most of the page. As terrifying as it was seeing herself on the screen, the number of credits the Empire was offering for any information leading to her arrest was even more so. It was clear proof her decision to run was the right one, but why the Empire wanted her so badly was not as clear.

"If you don't want to talk to us, that's fine," the man said evenly. "I never expected you to. But just know, as soon as you're healed enough, we're going to turn you back over to the Empire."

Jaina stared at the datapad, fighting back tears and the urge to scream in frustration. They had her and they knew it. She knew it as well. She couldn't go back. And she couldn't tell these people what they wanted to know. She was completely stuck and could see no way out.

"We're willing to help you, if you'll let us." Jaina looked up and realized it was the Twi'lek who'd finally spoken. Her tone was gentle, placating, and Jaina could tell she was being genuine. She shook her head anyway.

"You can't," she said angrily. "You'd never understand. Just like the Empire wouldn't."

The man shrugged and grabbed the datapad out of her hands. "Then I guess we're done here." He turned to go. "I'll make sure the doc knows you're a priority, so we can return you to the Empire as soon as possible."

Jaina glared at his back, frustrated tears burning her eyes. Her mind was waging a war on itself but in the end, her fear of the Inquisitor won out. Whatever these rebels could offer her, regardless of her hatred towards them, couldn't be worse than what the Inquisitor had planned for her.

"I had no choice!" she growled. He turned back around. "I had no choice," she repeated, quieter this time. "I had to leave."

"Why?" the man asked, crossing his arms.

She hesitated and he narrowed his eyes. "If you don't answer me right now, I'm going to walk out of this room and your only chance of freedom will be gone. So I'll ask you again. Why?"

"I couldn't let them find out," she said in a small voice.

"Find out about what?" he asked.

"The real reason I was so good at my job," she replied, her voice even quieter.

"Which is…?" he asked. There was a hint of anticipation in his voice.

She sighed in defeat, the last bit of defiance leaving her. "Let's just say I have a unique way of getting information out of people." Ahsoka and the Twi'lek exchanged a look and it didn't slip past her notice.

"Oh really?" the man said, arching his brow. "And what might that be?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she said ruefully. And it was true. She knew they wouldn't believe her. They'd think she was either making it up or simply crazy.

"Try me," he replied with a smirk. She took a deep breath and braced herself.

"I can access the minds of others. See their thoughts." She kept her voice even and watched their reactions. Ahsoka and the Twi'lek's were instant; they didn't even bother to hide their shock, though Ahsoka was quicker to recover. The man, on the other hand, just stared blankly at her for a long moment. Then he erupted in laughter.

"You're right," he said, "I don't believe you. So unless you'd like to offer me any real information, then we are most certainly done here." He turned to go once more.

She knew he wouldn't believe her and yet his response triggered something, and she reacted without thinking. Trembling with rage, she bowed her head and closed her eyes. He grunted as she forced her way in, and his mind instantly recoiled. She wanted to make him hurt, make him suffer, and didn't even care if there was nothing in his mind she could use.

She heard a loud thud as he fell to his knees, and she increased the pressure as she sifted through his thoughts. He finally cried out from the pain, and she smiled to herself in satisfaction.

"What's wrong?" It was the Twi'lek and her alarm was unmistakable.

"I don't know!" he cried. "Make it stop!"

She wanted to laugh, to ask him if he believed her now, but she stayed silent. And suddenly, there it was. She grimaced as she realized what she was seeing, her rage reaching an even higher level.

"You lied," she said, her voice shaking with anger. "You had no intention of delivering me back to the Empire."

She knew he wouldn't answer; he was in too much pain. It was the Twi'lek who did instead. "What are you talking about?"

"Tell them," she replied. He didn't respond and she increased the pressure again and was rewarded with a pained cry that echoed throughout the room. "Tell them what you planned on doing with me."

She was thoroughly enjoying herself, but in her already weakened state she knew she wouldn't be able to hang on much longer. It didn't matter. She was going to savor this for as long as it lasted. Which, unbeknownst to her, wasn't going to be much longer.

"That's enough. Release him." It was Ahsoka's voice, right next to her, and ice cold. Jaina gasped in surprise. Her concentration wavered slightly, but she didn't let him go. "I'm not going to tell you again. Let him go." There was a quiet fury in her tone that was terrifying, and she immediately backed out of his mind.

She opened her eyes and glared at Ahsoka. "He was going to kill me." She saw a flicker of shock pass over the anger on Ahsoka's face.

"What do you mean, he was going to kill you?" Ahsoka asked. The man shot Jaina a look that told her if he could kill her right now, he would. And he'd make it as slow and as painful as possible.

"He only wanted everyone, including me, to think he was going to turn me back over to the Empire." She looked directly at him while she spoke. "But once I was offworld, he was just going to have one of his people kill me and then dump me somewhere the Empire could find me."

Ahsoka and the Twi'lek stared at him. "Is that true?" the Twi'lek asked angrily. He glared at the three of them.

"You're going to believe her over me?" he asked indignantly. "She's an Imperial!"

Ahsoka and the Twi'lek didn't respond and he looked between them and Jaina, realizing he was now outnumbered. He spat out a curse and quickly left the room without saying another word.

"I'm going to go make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," the Twi'lek said, hurrying after him. Ahsoka nodded her acknowledgment then turned her attention back to Jaina. She crossed her arms and gave her a hard look.

"I'm assuming you don't believe me either," Jaina said.

"No, I do," Ahsoka replied. "I'm more concerned with where you learned how to do that." Jaina felt her eyebrows raise in surprise. She hadn't expected that response. But then again, it seemed as though Ahsoka knew exactly what she had been doing.

"I taught myself," Jaina said, shrugging. Ahsoka narrowed her eyes. "No, really, I did, I swear. Years ago, when I was in the Academy. I have no idea what it is though, or where it comes from. Which is why…"

"Which is why you ran," Ahsoka said, finishing her thought. Jaina nodded.

"Do you want to tell me what happened that day?" Ahsoka asked. "What made you decide that was the day you were going to run?"

Jaina looked up at her. There was something about her that instantly put her at ease, though she didn't know why. "In a way," she said slowly, "you helped me decide."

"Your dream?" Ahsoka asked. Jaina nodded again. She then proceeded to tell Ahsoka everything about what had happened on Garel, including her dream and her encounters with the Inquisitor. She had just finished when the Twi'lek walked back into the room.

"Well, I managed to convince them to let her stay," she said, "for now." She eyed Jaina carefully. "But you have to prove to us that you're not a threat. That you're no longer with the Empire. One slip up, one mistake, if they even so much as suspect that you're lying…they will hand you over without a second thought."

Jaina reluctantly nodded. It looked like she was going to be stuck here for far longer than she had hoped, but at least they weren't going to turn her over. Or kill her.

"I don't think we've properly met," the Twi'lek said. "I'm General Syndulla. It was my ship that brought you back here."

Jaina inclined her head out of respect for her rank. "Jaina. And thank you. I know it doesn't seem like it, but I really do appreciate you not letting me die." The general inclined her head in return, then looked at Ahsoka. "Well?" she asked her.

"It was an Inquisitor," Ahsoka replied. The general's response was the same as Ahsoka's had been: complete surprise. "They sent an Inquisitor after her."

"I thought you said they were all dead," Syndulla replied in disbelief.

"I assumed they were, but we never knew how many were out there," Ahsoka replied. "We could only guess."

"Someone must have figured it out then," Syndulla said. "Or at least suspected what she was doing was connected to it." Ahsoka nodded in agreement. Jaina watched their exchange, thoroughly confused. Syndulla gave her an impressed look. "You were lucky to get away."

Jaina nodded, but couldn't hold her curiosity any longer. "I'm sorry, but what are you talking about? You think what I can do is connected to something else? Like what?"

Syndulla stared at her for a moment, then looked at Ahsoka. "She doesn't know?" Ahsoka shook her head. "Even more impressive that you're still alive," she said, looking back at Jaina. "I'll let her explain it." She motioned to Ahsoka, but before Ahsoka could get a word out, the door opened and the doctor strode in, clearly upset.

"Are you done questioning my patient now, so I can do my job, or should I go get lost again?" She glared at Syndulla and Ahsoka, daring them to challenge her. Wisely, neither of them did. Ahsoka gave Jaina an apologetic look.

"I guess my explanation will have to wait. I'll be back in the morning and we can talk then. Unless," she looked at the doctor, "the doctor says otherwise."

The doctor crossed her arms and frowned. "The morning is fine." Ahsoka inclined her head, and Jaina could feel some of the doctor's anger start to subside.

"I'll see you in the morning," Ahsoka told Jaina. Jaina nodded goodbye to both Ahsoka and the general, watching as they exited together.

"Sorry about all that," the doctor said once they were gone.

"It's okay," Jaina replied, suddenly exhausted. Luckily, the doctor didn't seem to be in the mood for conversation either, and Jaina laid there quietly, watching her work.

She changed Jaina's bandages, which hurt, a lot, and Jaina was grateful for the extra dose of pain medicine she gave her afterward. Before she left, the doctor explained what she should expect in the coming weeks in regards to her treatment. Jaina listened while half-asleep, her mind wandering back to Akiva.

She thought about what she'd be doing right now if she was still there. She thought about Rowen and how she'd never get the chance to apologize to him. She thought about Brentin, wondering if he'd made it back home to his family. But mostly she thought about how none of this would've happened had she just stayed in the bar that night. The doctor finally left, and Jaina drifted off to sleep, dreaming of what could've been.

Much to her surprise, Ahsoka kept her promise and was back first thing in the morning. And she'd brought real food with her this time. Jaina's stomach rumbled as soon as she smelled it. She'd barely touched the ration pack the night before, but now she was ravenous. Ahsoka sat with her while she ate, making small talk until Jaina was finished.

Jaina could feel Ahsoka's mood instantly turn serious, and she swallowed hard, thinking she was in for another round of questioning.

"What do you know about the Force?" Ahsoka asked, watching her closely. Jaina cocked her head in confusion.

"The Force?" she asked. She thought for a moment but came up with nothing. "I've never heard of it."

"But you have heard of the Jedi," Ahsoka said. Jaina nodded.

"I've heard the stories," she replied. "We learned about the Clone Wars in school and at the Academy." She narrowed her eyes. "Specifically, we learned about their betrayal of the Republic."

"Imperial propaganda," Ahsoka said dismissively. Jaina opened her mouth to argue, but Ahsoka put up a hand, silencing her. "I'm not going to argue with you. Once I'm finished, you might be surprised at how differently you start to see things. Especially when you're not viewing them through an Imperial lense."

Jaina frowned. She could tell she'd struck a nerve. "I've heard some people say they never existed at all. Just bedtime stories parents made up to scare their kids."

To her surprise, Ahsoka chuckled. "Oh, they existed all right. I can promise you that. But I'm not here to talk about the Jedi. Though what I have to tell you does involve them, to a certain extent."

"I'm listening…" Jaina said. She remembered their conversation from the night before and wondered if this had anything to do with that.

"First, there are some things you need to understand," Ahsoka said. She smiled faintly. "Like what the Force is. I'll try and explain it to you how it was explained to me, many years ago." She drew in a breath and slowly blew it out.

"The Force is an energy created by all living things. It's all around us and ties everything in the galaxy together. It flows through everything: you, me, every being, every plant, every animal, every rock or river or ocean, even the stool I'm sitting on and the bed you're laying in. That is what the Force is. Does that make sense?"

Jaina desperately wanted it to, but she shook her head. "No," she admitted.

Ahsoka chuckled. "That's okay. It didn't make sense to me either. At least not at first." She thought for a moment. "Maybe it'll help if I show you what it is. But you have to do exactly as I tell you. No questioning or arguing. Got it?" Jaina nodded.

"Good," Ahsoka said. "Are you ready?" Jaina nodded again.

"Close your eyes," Ahsoka told her. Jaina closed them and listened as Ahsoka's voice took on an almost meditative quality.

"Breathe deeply," Ahsoka continued. She paused, waiting for Jaina to comply. "Good. Now, I want you to clear your mind of everything. Empty it of any thoughts, doubts, worries, regrets, fears…everything. Release it all, until there is nothing left and your mind is quiet and calm."

Jaina tried to do what Ahsoka was asking, but it was proving harder than it seemed. It took her some time before her mind was completely empty. When it finally was, she was surprised to find a peaceful, almost euphoric feeling. It was as if her mind and body were humming with an energy she could feel around her. It was something she'd never felt before.

"How do you feel?" Ahsoka asked. Jaina smiled. "Peaceful. Calm," she replied.

"Good," Ahsoka said. "This is called 'finding your center', or your balance. Where your mind and emotions are calm and steady. Now, what do you feel?" Jaina thought for a moment, trying to find the words to describe it.

"An energy," she finally said. "I don't know how to describe it as anything else. I can feel it around me, inside of me. It's like it's constantly moving, flowing."

"That," Ahsoka said, "is the Force. When your mind is calm and at peace, when your emotions are balanced like they are now, that is when you will feel it the strongest." Jaina slowly nodded, finally understanding.

"Since the Force flows through everything you will find it everywhere," Ahsoka continued, "connecting everything and everyone. Now, I want you to reach out through that same energy that surrounds you, and see if you can find it in anything else."

Jaina did as Ahsoka instructed and reached out into the energy surrounding her. She found Ahsoka immediately. Not only because she was sitting right next to her, but also because the energy surrounding her shown bright, like a blinding light. She reached out further, following the flow of the energy and could feel its presence surrounding hundreds of people.

Not wanting to stop yet, she continued, finding the energy flowing through the stones of the building they were in, the forest that surrounded them, and the animals that lived there. It was an intoxicating and exhilarating feeling, and she drank it all in, never wanting it to end. Eventually, though, it had to. Ahsoka gently placed her hand on Jaina's arm, pulling her back.

"That was incredible," Jaina breathed as she opened her eyes. Ahsoka smiled at her.

"Do you understand what the Force is now?" Ahsoka asked. Jaina nodded happily. Then a thought crossed her mind and she frowned.

"Is this what General Syndulla was talking about last night when she said what I can do is connected to something?" Ahsoka nodded. Understanding suddenly hit her and her eyes widened. "So what I can do is connected to the Force?" Ahsoka nodded again.

"And now we've come to the second thing you need to understand," Ahsoka said, her tone far more serious. "Just because the Force flows through every living thing, doesn't mean that every living thing can feel its energy like you just did. It is a rare gift to be able to do that, and very few in the galaxy have that gift. You have it. I have it. The Jedi had it."

Jaina stared at Ahsoka, trying to process what she was saying as she continued: "This is where the Jedi become relevant to you. Their ability to feel the Force and use it is what made them powerful. And they were killed because of this power.

"The lessons you were taught are wrong. The Jedi weren't killed because they betrayed the Republic. They were killed because the power they possessed through their connection to the Force was a threat to the Emperor's rule." A heavy silence fell over the room as Ahsoka let that sink in. Jaina could feel profound anger coming from her and didn't dare say a word.

Ahsoka took a deep breath. "Palpatine still fears anyone with the same connection to the Force that the Jedi had. It's why he created the Inquisitors after the Clone Wars ended.

"Their sole purpose is to hunt down and kill any remaining Jedi that survived the Purge, as well as any Force-sensitives they find." Jaina suddenly felt sick as she realized what Ahsoka was saying.

"Like me," she said quietly. It all made sense now, but the truth of it somehow made the whole situation far more terrifying than it had already been.

"Like you," Ahsoka agreed. "I'm honestly surprised you survived undetected as long as you did, considering what your job and rank were."

Jaina said nothing, and Ahsoka sat quietly while she slowly digested everything she'd just been told. She had no idea what to think. Ahsoka had made it perfectly clear that she could never go back to the Empire. But she didn't want to stay here either. The Empire might want her dead, but that didn't mean she was automatically going to side with the rebels. She suddenly felt even more alone than she had when she'd arrived on Akiva.

"There is one more thing we need to talk about before I go," Ahsoka said, startling her out of her thoughts. Jaina looked at her questioningly.

"The ability you have," Ahsoka said, once she had Jaina's attention, "to reach into the minds of others…I don't want you to use it ever again."

Shock and anger flared inside her. "Why? It's useful! I proved that last night. You would've never known what he was going to do if I hadn't used it!"

She shook her head defiantly. This was the one thing she had to defend herself with. She didn't know what the rebels had planned for her. Using it was the only way she could keep them honest and she wasn't going to let Ahsoka take it away from her that easily.

"For reasons you won't understand," Ahsoka said plainly, "at least not yet."

Jaina shook her head again. "No. I'm not going to just blindly do what you ask. Not without a good reason why I shouldn't."

Ahsoka cocked her head slightly. "Yes, you will," she replied coolly. "Because if you don't, and I find out that you've been using it, I will deliver you to the Inquisitor myself."

It was a clear threat, delivered with a chilling confidence behind it that sent a shiver up Jaina's spine. She stared at Ahsoka, who held her gaze, inviting Jaina to challenge her again. This time, she didn't and grunted her acquiescence. Once again, she was stuck, with no other option but to do exactly what the rebels were asking her to.

Ahsoka rose to leave after a long moment. "You might as well get comfortable. You're not going anywhere for a while." She gave Jaina a hard look. "Your stay here will be what you make of it. We can help you if you'll let us. But we need to know we can trust you. And you'll have to earn that."

Jaina said nothing and crossed her arms, returning Ahsoka's look with one of her own. She might not be in a cell or binders, but for all other intents and purposes, she was their prisoner. Ahsoka walked to the door and paused, turning around to look at Jaina one more time.

"Welcome to the Rebellion," she said, with a small smile. And with that, she turned back around and walked out the door.